Connecticut Governor Rell Urges President, Defense Department to Continue Production of F-22 Raptor Fighter Jets

Program’s Future Has Major Implications for Industry in Connecticut

December 18, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today wrote President Bush to urge continued production of the advanced F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The Department of Defense is considering putting an end to procurement of the fifth-generation fighter at the end of the current procurement contract.

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“I believe such a decision would be ill-advised and premature,” Governor Rell said in her letter to the President, noting that such a decision would leave the Pentagon with only 183 of the high-tech, air superiority fighters, even though the U.S. Air Force has a long-standing need for 381 aircraft.

“Like the decision to move forward with early procurement for building two submarines a year for the Navy, keeping the Raptor production lines humming will ensure that we do not lose these vital jobs – and the highly skilled men and women who fill them – in our aerospace industry,” Governor Rell said. “The Raptor program involves more than 1,000 suppliers in 44 states, including thousands of workers at Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut who build the F119 turbofan engines that power the F-22. Apart from being unwise to leave the Air Force short of the number of aircraft it needs to properly complete its mission, it would be an unacceptable risk to our national defense to see this industrial infrastructure crumble due to a lack of work.”

The Governor urged President Bush, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle to include funding for advance procurement for at least 20 aircraft in the Federal Fiscal Year 2009 budget and complete funding for the aircraft in the FFY2010 budget.

In July, Pratt & Whitney announced it had received a three-year, $1.3 billion contract to provide engines for the F-22 through 2010.

Source: Connecticut Governor